Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-03-19
FROM THE COUNTRY.
A Gray Haired Farmer Enters the Story
Telling Business

A Gray Haired Farmer Enters the Story
Telling Business.
Winfield Tribun.
BE you an editor? said weather
beaten countryman to the man of the
note book.
I'm engaged on the Tribune" was
the answer.
"You are the man I'm looking for
then, by jinks," said thu stranger. ave
got little story you might print if you
want to. It's true, every word of it,"
"What is it?" said his expectant lis.
tener.
"Tll tell you. live out on the Wal
nut. I've lived there sometime nigh
onto fourteen years. People wern't very
plenty around Winfield as long ago as
that, but there was plenty of game and
lots of snakes and such. wasn't mar
ried then; bached nigh onto eight years,
then got spliced. Molly and I then
began workin' hard to pay of the mort
gage on the farm. We had got along
nicely; had raised nearly all the money
and hoped to get the last hundred ssved
before our third wedding day came. Ny
wife hoped to do a good deal towards Il
by raisin' chickens aud selling them in
Winfield in the early summer. They
Matched out first rate and in May we had
q fine collection of chickens running
around the door. I used to shut them
all up nights in large coop I had made,
for weasels and foxes were plenty. When
they were about four weeks old they be-
gan to disappear two or three q night.
We couldn't stand that and I examined
the coop all over but not track or a
trace OF any thief, four-legged or other
wise, could 1 find. The coop was built of
slabs, a part Of it made tight and part
with the slabs several inches apart, so as
to give the chickens plenty of air. I had
lined the inside of the whole coop with a
coarse wire netting, with holes not
larger than your thumb"
"As said, there was not trace of
anything inside the coop and the wire
was all right all over, $50 I could not i'm
agine how the chickens were stolen; but
the next night two more were gone and
one or two every night for week.
81 had been sick for week after the
stealing began, or I would have watched
all night to see if couldn't catch the
chicken thief. Molly set traps outside
the coop but it was DO use. The chickens
we're CROWN like weeds and it made us
feel poor to lose them that way, but there
didn't seem to be anything to do about
the matter. was puzzled.
"The first mornin' could be out doors
again, I went to the coop and let the
chickens out. Close by one of the posts
the ground seemed to be q little dis
turbed and one of the holes in the wire
n etting was little spread. I straigh-
ened it up aud put trap on the outside.
l told Molly thought I would watch
that night, but she would not hear to it
as I was not we'll enough. We had lost
nearly twenty chickens and was fee)in'
quite discouraged.
81 went to the coop as usual the first
thing on getting up in the mornin' and
saw something movin' by the trap. I
thought I had caught a weasel; but
when I came to the trap I saw there
was nothin in it but that large black
snake was half through the netting and
couldn't get farther. I was not long
killing him you may be sure, and moth
in had done before in six months did
me so much good as it did to cut that
tarnal reptile in two with a spade. I
did it from inside the coop, as I was
afraid if I tried it on the other side he
would draw back into the coop and try
another hole with better luck. The
spade did not cut him in two although I
gave him powerful stroke. It struck
something hard and as soon as had killed
him I split him open to see what it was.
What do you think I found in him? The
nightly chicken which he was accustomed
to eat, but which had grown SO large
that it kept him from getting out of the
cage.
I also found in him three 800 gold
pieces. My! how Molly's eyes opened
when I showed her the pay the thief
had left behind him. We did not lose
any more chickens and we paid the mort
gage the next month.
''You look as if you did not believe
me. No, don't want q cigar, but I'll
look up some other newspaper and see
if they won't believe what an old farmer
has to say
ALI Right, De Soto.
Chicago Herald.
One day last week an old man with q
bald head, and obviously with drink
or two slowed away in the place where q
drink does man the most good, board
ed Van Buren, street Car and looked
around for seat. OF course he found
none, and, on appealing to the conductor,
was told that he would be allie to find
him one by the time the car reached
Western avenue.
"An right, De Solo," replied the aged
naeean0er